“How can I whiten whites naturally? Don’t forget… Don’t forget… Commit it to long term memory… Don’t forget.”

*starts to organize shelf*

“I wonder if I can move my blog props down here.”

“This basement is out of control. I need to call 1-800-GOT-JUNK to get rid of all this shit. I’m not even going to think about it. We don’t need this crap anyway.”

“Why do we have club sized audio speakers down here?! It’s not 1996!”

“Oh, fuck – What’s burning?!”

*Runs upstairs.*

*Forgets towel*

I suppose you can argue that I think too much. You know how some people multi-task? I multi-think. And then I forget things because as I multi-think, I also multi-task. I need calm. In my brain, my actions. This is why I make pizza and bread dough by hand. It allows my mind to wander and gives my hands something to do. I don’t stop mid-knead. Kneading dough by hand is one of life’s pleasures. Try it.

Now flow with me, let’s talk about this Skillet Margherita Pizza.

I promised I’d make more pizza and here it is, the re-introductory voyage to a delicious pizza-licious season.

Margherita Pizza boasts simple ingredients that when cooked together make one of the most delicious dishes.

Instructions

Prepare pizza dough:
Liberally brush a bowl with olive oil or any neutral oil. Set aside.

Measure ½ cup of the warm water into a large liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, add the sugar, and then stir to combine. Leave for
about 10 minutes to proof and rise.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt, mixing briefly to blend. Measure the
room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture, along with the
olive oil. Mix until a cohesive dough is formed.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the dough to the prepared
oiled bowl, turning once or twice to coat.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and press down to deflate.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces.

Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Note: This dough makes enough for three skillet pizzas. You can choose to make all pizzas at once (tripling the margherita pizza ingredients) or place
remaining two pieces of dough in the freezer until ready to use. Pizza dough will keep up to one month.

While the dough rises, make the pizza sauce.

Make the pizza sauce:

Place a medium sized sauté pan on your stove and turn the heat to medium. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in the pan. When the oil begins to
shimmer, add the diced onions and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often for one minute. Add the
parsley flakes, chopped basil leaves, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until very fragrant, about one more minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and
stir the mixture until combined. Taste and add salt as desired. Cook over medium high heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer until the sauce has reduced to about half, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to come to room temperature and then transfer to a glass jar
or container with a tightfitting lid. Set aside until ready to use.

Make the pizza:

Preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit.

Combine mozzarella and parmesan cheeses in a small bowl. Set aside.

Remove 1 piece of dough from refrigerator. Place the piece of dough in the center of a 10" cast iron skillet. Gently stretch the dough until it covers the
surface of the cast iron skillet. Brush lightly with infused olive oil. Pour the pizza sauce in the center of the dough, and spread it evenly, leaving a small edge border.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tomato sauce. Add the grape tomatoes and sprinkle with basil leaves. Brush the outer edges with the infused oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Place in the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese bubbles, 10-15 minutes.